Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पार्वत्या कीलितः कस्मा न्नष्टवृत्तिः शिवः कथम् । कारणं कथ्यतां तत्र परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

pārvatyā kīlitaḥ kasmā nnaṣṭavṛttiḥ śivaḥ katham | kāraṇaṃ kathyatāṃ tatra paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

Translation

Warum wurde Śiva von Pārvatī unbeweglich gemacht, und wie verlor er sein gewöhnliches Gewahrsein? Sage mir die Ursache davon, denn groß ist meine Neugier.

Word by Word

• पार्वत्या: by Pārvatī
• पार्वत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कीलितः: restrained, pinned down
• कीलितः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कील् (धातु) → कीलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नष्टवृत्तिः: one whose activity/means is lost
• नष्टवृत्तिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• तत्र: there, in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place/context)

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, intent and inquisitive, asks how Śiva could be ‘stilled’ by Pārvatī; visual foreshadowing of a Śiva–Pārvatī scene with Śiva in yogic poise and Pārvatī playfully asserting śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas encourage reasoned inquiry into sacred narratives to uncover their dharmic and theological meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question leads into the explanation that underpins the Śiva-tīrtha’s sanctity in Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests an explanation (kāraṇa) rather than prescribing a rite.